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Indiana's Secret Booze: How Hoosiers Defied Prohibition
1 Aug
Summary
- Indiana banned alcohol in 1918, two years before the national Prohibition.
- Speakeasies thrived underground, requiring passwords for entry.
- Indiana's strict alcohol laws persisted long after national Prohibition ended.
Indiana was already a dry state in 1918, two years before the 18th Amendment nationally prohibited alcohol. Despite strict regulations, a counterculture emerged, with hidden speakeasies operating through word-of-mouth and secret passwords to serve those who still desired alcohol.
The Slippery Noodle Inn in Indianapolis famously continued serving alcohol discreetly during this era, undergoing several name changes. In 1931, a government-operated speakeasy in Indianapolis designed to entrap lawbreakers garnered national attention, leading to convictions for six police officers and two civilians.
Although Prohibition ended nationwide in 1933, Indiana's stringent alcohol laws persisted for decades. Notably, the ban on Sunday alcohol sales, originating from 1816, remained until much later, with further changes in alcohol sales timing occurring as recently as 2018 and 2024.
